


Popular

by kate882



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Fluff, M/M, canonverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 15:47:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8167378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate882/pseuds/kate882
Summary: When Valentine's day was approaching Midorima found out just how popular Takao was, and he started answering “You're friends with Kazunari-kun, right?” with “I know nothing of his romantic interest.” It had been rather embarrassing the one time it turned out that a girl was just hoping to return a notebook to him.





	

Takao was popular. 

It hadn't taken long for Midorima to realize that, despite the fact that they were in different classes.

Takao was popular, but he still interacted with Midorima outside of practice.

At first Midorima had thought it was just because Takao was lonely or something, but then he had realized that every time he saw Takao in the hallway or lunchroom he had several people around him. He still always called out to Midorima with that ridiculous nickname and waved at him, and if they were in the lunchroom he'd invite Midorima to eat with him and his friends. And once he realized they lived near each other he'd insisted they go to and from school together. Even after Midorima had gotten out that rickshaw.

Honestly, he couldn't figure out why someone like Takao, with so many friends, would go out of his way to spend time with Midorima, who could admit he wasn't always that nice to Takao. The rickshaw being an easy example of how he wasn't the nicest of friends.

It had taken a while for him to even admit he was Takao’s friend.

Takao was also popular romantically. With both the guys and the girls in the school. 

Several of them would approach Midorima for information. “Hi, you're friends with Kazunari-kun, right?”

Eventually he'd stopped answering that with, “We are on the same basketball team, so I am acquainted with him,” and changed it to a “Yes.”

The follow up question hadn't changed regardless of his change in answer. “Do you know if he likes anyone?”

And Midorima always said no, because if Takao was romantically interested in someone he had never mentioned it to Midorima.

* * *

When Valentine's day was approaching he found out just how popular Takao was, and he started answering “You're friends with Kazunari-kun, right?” with “I know nothing of his romantic interest.” It had been rather embarrassing the one time it turned out that a girl was just hoping to return a notebook to him.

He considered asking Takao so that he would have an answer for the people that, for some reason, thought he should have one. But he also figured that if Takao wanted him to know he would have shared the information with him, so he probably shouldn't ask.

He ended up unintentionally finding out when Takao was late for practice and Midorima was sent to look for him.

He found him near the gym, talking to a girl. Initially he planned to interrupt them and drag Takao to practice. And then he noticed the girl looked on the verge of tears and thought better of it. He wasn’t  _ eavesdropping,  _ no matter what it looked like, he was simply waiting. Close enough to hear what was happening.

“Is it because you like someone else?” The girl asked. Upon closer inspection, she was actually from Midorima’s class. Kimi, or something like that.

Takao offered her an apologetic smile. “I do actually. I’m really sorry. You seem great and all.”

“Do they like you back?” She asked him.

Takao tilted his head and seemed to think about that for a second. “. . . Yeah, I think so. I just don’t think they know it yet. They kinda suck with feelings.”

A look of understanding seemed to cross the girl’s face, and she sighed. “He’s lucky that someone like you is patient enough to wait for him.” Midorima almost felt offended that she seemed to know exactly who Takao was talking about form that small amount of information, but he still had no idea. And she didn’t even have the advantage over him of being in Takao’s class to see him interact with the student's there to figure it out. She made it seem like it was obvious.

Takao laughed. “Lucky is definitely the right word. Look, I really am sorry, but I have to get going. Shin-chan is going to kill me if I’m late to practice.”

“You’re already late.” Midorima decided it was time to make his entrance.

“Were you eavesdropping?” Takao asked, raising his eyebrows.

Midorima adjusted his glasses. “Of course not.”

Takao laughed at him, but nodded. “Well, let’s get going then.”

They walked towards the gym after Takao said goodbye to Kimi, and against his better judgement, Midorima found himself speaking up. “He doesn’t deserve you.”

“Huh?” Takao looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed.

“The guy. The one that you like. If he’s making you wait like that, he’s not good enough. He should be able to see that he likes you and do something about it.” Midorima told him, frowning when Takao laughed at him.

“I’ll be sure to tell him you said that whenever he comes around to figuring it out.”

“You shouldn’t have to wait for that.” Midorima reiterated.

“I don’t have to. I’m choosing to.” Takao grinned at him before walking into the gym, hold the door for Midorima, who was still frowning, but stopped the conversation in favor of joining practice.

* * *

For days Midorima couldn’t figure out what his problem was with the guy that Takao liked was. He also found himself observing any interaction Takao had with a male, trying to figure out who it might be.

He did try to ask Takao at one point, but Takao had just winked at him and told him it was a secret.

Nearly two weeks later Midorima figured it out. It was as he was staring down a potential candidate for Takao’s love interest (who didn’t seem to notice Midorima watching him, as he was too busy smiling and talking to Takao) that he realized he was jealous.

And that seemed to be the realization that opened the floodgates in his mind. After that his thoughts were going a million miles a second, trying to process that along with  _ why  _ would he be jealous.

“Shin-chan, are you okay? You look like someone just told you Oha Asa shut down.” Takao turned his attention to Midorima, much to the disappointment of the boy he’d been talking to.

“I’m in like with you.” Midorima blurted out.

There was a long moment of silence before Takao laughed and Midorima’s face went red. “I’m glad you realized that. Wanna walk me home after practice then?”

“We already go home together.”

“Yeah, but now it’ll be romantic.”

And that was a hard point to argue for Midorima’s short circuited brain, so he just nodded. He was the jerk. The one that couldn’t see how great Takao was and made him wait. It was ridiculous and he felt kind of stupid, but Takao was suddenly holding his hand, and that took up most of his attention, so he stopped thinking about that. He’d have plenty of time to regret past stupidity. Right now he had to try to function enough to not embarrass himself further. Which probably wasn’t working since he wasn’t sure what Takao had just said to him. Practice was going to be long. 


End file.
